Duty of Care

Hong Kong protests create widespread delays in travel

Posted on Oct 03, 2014

Pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong that started on Sept. 27 are proving to be more than a passing concern - the major demonstrations are approaching a week in length and attracting thousands upon thousands of students and professionals. Many of the region's major thoroughfares have been blocked off from traffic in what has been a largely non-violent action by the group. The region's government had decided to wait out the protests and hope they dissipate on their own, but this approach may change as more people flock to the roads and bridges in downtown areas to advocate for their cause.

Self-policing protestersNews site Mashable pointed out that, despite clogging major traffic arteries, the vast majority of protesters have been responsible for the areas they occupy. There has been little if any graffiti painted on the buildings and infrastructure in the protest zones, with members of what's called the "Occupy Central" or "Umbrella Revolution" movement going so far as to post signs discouraging the practice. The inevitable accumulation of garbage from tens of thousands of people protesting in a dense urban area has been handled by the protesters as well, who have been sweeping and bagging rubbish before disposing of it. The orderly nature of the protests is notable because it's rarely the outcome of civil disobedience actions and because of Hong Kong's reputation as a fastidious and ultra-clean city.

The significant impact on travel

Despite the clean and orderly nature of the protests, they're still impacting business and pleasure travel in the area. Governments including the U.S. have issued travel warnings for the region, according to The Wall Street Journal. Corporate travel isn't being impacted from a safety standpoint as of yet, but there are other issues. Logistical problems related to traveling through protest zones - not involving the possibility of harm as much as physically moving across roadways blocked by thousands of people - are evident. If the protests continue to grow in strength, it could result in a variety of negative outcomes from a business travel standpoint.

Companies have a duty of care obligation for employees traveling from the home office on business. With a situation as unique as Hong Kong's, travel is still possible but the situation could quickly change. NC4 Risk Center provides timely, granular data about safety and travel concerns in areas employees visit, keeping everyone involved aware of risk.

Blog Categories

Thank You!

Thanks for contacting NC4! A member of our team will be in touch with you shortly.

Contact Us

First Name*

Last Name*

Email*

Phone*

Company Name*

Job Title

Comments

Which of our solutions are you interested in?*

Cyber Threat Intelligence

Emergency Management

Law Enforcement

Risk Management

Other

Please check this box to consent to NC4’s use of your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy*.

About

NC4® delivers safety and security solutions for both business and government organizations.
We revolutionize how organizations and communities collect, manage, share, and disseminate
information to reduce cyber threats, fight crime, mitigate risks, and manage incidents. NC4 also
provides cyber threat sharing solutions both through secure collaboration services and through automated, structured, and standardized mechanisms.

Cookies on the NC4 website

Please note that in order to improve your browsing experience, this website uses cookies that will store information on your device. By continuing to use our website and/or clicking Continue, you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.